Microsoft's Tough Call to Come on Phones

By

Dan Gallagher

July 17, 2014 1:02 p.m. ET

Satya Nadella is making hard choices now with Microsoft's wireless handset business. But the hardest part still lies ahead.

Microsoft announced layoffs of up to 18,000 workers Thursday morning, the software giant's biggest job cuts ever. About 12,500 of these are coming from the handset operations that are mostly comprised of the Nokia device business acquired last year under Mr. Nadella's predecessor as chief executive, Steve...